Big Ten coaching rankings

They gave rings to members of the 2012 Ohio State football team, a group that went unbeaten yet couldn’t play in the postseason.

Those rings should have an asterisk – not because of NCAA probation, but because we truly know little of the team that won a watered-down conference with a few white-knuckle games.

A team that played for three months without the typical weekly pressure of championship seasons. A team that did what few have done in the storied history of Ohio State, but probably wouldn’t have beaten most of former coach Jim Tressel’s teams.

This, everyone, is the beauty of Urban Meyer. The team that lost seven games in 2011 didn’t lose in 2012, with essentially the same roster.

Everywhere Meyer has coached, he has won big with elite quarterbacks: Josh Harris (Bowling Green), Alex Smith (Utah), Chris Leak (Florida), Tim Tebow (Florida). He inherited every one except Tebow, whom he recruited, and inherited another championship-maker at OSU in Braxton Miller. Let’s see how Meyer and Miller and Ohio State react when the framework of winning drastically changes this fall.

No one does more with less. Northwestern lost three games last season—all three leading in the fourth quarter with less than three minutes to play. His numbers at NU don’t show it on an annual basis, but Fitz would win big at any of the Big Ten’s marquee schools—and has turned down overtures from a few of them.

Hard to argue with 19 wins in two seasons, but Hoke’s managing of the quarterback spot last season was bizarre at best. From not letting Denard Robinson run vs. Alabama in the season opener, to not replacing him soon enough with Devin Gardner when it became obvious Michigan needed to throw the ball to win big games.

A step back last season had more to do with inexperience at quarterback than anything. Five of the Spartans' six games were lost by a combined 13 points—and all because they failed to get critical plays from the most important position on the field.

Pelini’s tenure at Nebraska can be summed up thusly: good enough to be in the first six of these rankings, but not good enough to reach elite status. The Huskers have won 10 games three times in his five seasons—the three quietest 10-win seasons in college football since 2009.

It’s all downhill since Iowa’s Orange Bowl win in 2009. Maybe we should talk less about how the NFL covets Ferentz and more about how Iowa is tied contractually (long term) to a coach who now loses more Big Ten games than he wins.

A terrific hire for Wisconsin. Andersen has been highly respected within the coaching fraternity since his days as defensive coordinator at Utah, and only strengthened that with his work as head coach at Utah State.

A successful coach in the NCAA lower divisions, and set up Northern Illinois for its recent run of championships. Got Minne to the postseason last year, but didn’t win a game of significance. Has to prove his teams can win games (or even compete) against the league elite.

The hardest BCS job in college football. Wilson went from one victory in his first season in 2011 to four in 2012—but came up short in two key games (Ohio State and Michigan State) that could’ve made a difference on and off the field.

A former Tressel assistant at Ohio State, Hazell took just two years to turn Kent State from afterthought to 11 wins and playing for a spot in a BCS bowl. Purdue was desperate for a new message, and got a guy who won’t wilt under expectations.

A disaster of a first season for Beckman at Illinois. The offense was awful; the defense wasn’t much better. You’re not winning games in the Big Ten by scoring in the 50s and getting the last defensive stand in the game (like his teams at Toledo did).